Page 107 of This Kind of Forever

When they pull apart, Clara is still smiling. I didn’t necessarily think my twin would make a huge deal about us being together, but I also didn’t think she would be this excited either.

“When did this happen?” she asks, circling her finger to indicate our interlocked fingers.

Hallie grimaces, and I say, “Officially? The night we went to the bar.”

Clara spins around to look at Delilah. “Itoldyou!” Then she turns back to us. “I had a feeling things changed after that. That drive home was awkward as hell for the rest of us, by the way.”

“You aren’t mad I kept this from you?” Hallie asks tentatively.

“Babe,” she says flatly, “you were wearing his shirt on girls’ night. We knew. Weallknew.”

Hallie blushes bright red, and I release her hand so I can pull her against my side. She tucks herself in close, not caring that everyone’s eyes are still on us, and my heart soars. Fucking finally, we’re not a secret anymore, and I don’t have to pretend to not want my hands on her.

“Besides,” Delilah adds, “you two can barely keep your eyes off each other. It was only a matter of time.”

I like to think that’s true. That Hallie and I were so inevitable, nothing could keep us apart. Not forever.

Clara nods. “We’ve just been waiting for you to catch up.”

Hallie inhales deeply. “Gabe wanted to tell you—all of you—from the start, but I was scared. I was scared it would jeopardize our friendship or that you wouldn’t think I was right for him. It’ssilly, really, but I let my worries win.” She looks at my parents. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Mom says. She drops her oven mitt and rushes over, cupping Hallie’s face. “I’msorry you felt like you had to hide from us, but I can’t tell you how excited I am.”

“Really?”

Mom smiles. “You’ve always been part of this family, Hallie, and you make my son happy. What more could I want?”

Mom returns to the food she was going to pull out of the oven, and Clara retakes her seat at the table. I start to follow, but Hallie stays rooted to her spot. When I look at her, she has a determined expression on her face.

“There’s something else,” Hallie says. “In the interest of being completely honest.”

I didn’t think we needed to tell my family about our fake engagement, but Hallie decided she would rather lay it all out in the open. Start fresh.

Clara gasps, perking up. “Are you pregnant?”

Hallie’s cheeks flame. “What? That’s not— I—What?”

I chuckle at how flustered she is, and at my sister’s overactive imagination. “Hallie isn’t pregnant.”

Yet. But that’s a conversation for another time.

“Then what is it?” Dad asks. He and Mom are standing by the island, plating something that looks like home fries.

“Gabe and I have been pretending to be engaged in front of my father and his family,” she blurts, so fast her words all jumble together.

For a moment, everyone is silent.

Then Parker says, “That’s some serious rom-com type of shit.”

Delilah cuts him a look, likely for swearing when Abbie and Sophia could be in earshot, but he isn’t fazed.

“He’s not wrong,” Clara says. “And I definitely didn’t seethatcoming. After Carole spilled the beans, I figured you would have told Kevin it was just a rumour.”

“I should have, but it’s for some of the same reasons I wouldn’t let Gabe tell you about us.” Hallie looks down at her hands, then back up. “I was worried about what people would think of me. Of what I had to show for myself. I’m done with all that now. I don’t want to be anyone but exactly who I am.”

“Good,” Mom says. “Because we happen to love her very much.”

Hallie’s expression lightens as all of her previous worries melt away.